The Immortal's Curse
by Caisius
Summary: When the fairies come in the darkness of night to take all female hatchlings away from their home, Spyro intervenes. But when Spyro discovers that the female dragon population cannot survive with their male counterparts, he makes it his mission to discover why that is, and to find a way to reunite dragonkind. What he discovers will rock him to his very core.
1. Chapter 01 - Hatchlings

**Chapter One: Hatchlings**

Peace, an idea so precious and so hard-fought for, something so fragile that it could disappear in an instant. Quiet, a concept long sought after and cherished, something that seems only attainable in dreams. Peace and quiet, when they come together, they create a moment of pure bliss and harmony, something that Spyro desired more than anything in the world, and for now he had it.

He stretched as he lay back in the grass under the protection of a tree's shadow. He closed his eyes and sighed with content. When dragonkind had fallen prey to the imprisonment of Gnasty Gnorc, he had saved them and ended his plot; when he found himself trapped in Avalar and the land under the dominion of Ripto and his henchmen, he had ended his reign of terror; and when the ancient and evil sorceress came to steal all the dragon eggs in an attempt to sustain her immortality, he had put her and her plans to rest. He had saved the hatchlings and ensured that dragonkind would continue on. It was all worth it, and he deserved a little bit of rest.

"Spyro?"

The little dragon winced and looked up as Astor came into view across the field. He screwed his eyes shut and pretended to be asleep.

"Come now, Spyro, you are needed to watch the children."

Spyro let out a fake snore. The hatchlings may be cute, but they were more formidable than any gnorc or rhynoc could ever be. The fact he couldn't just torch them to get rid of them made them the ultimate foes, and so now he found himself enslaved by their every need. Rest would come when he was dead, which was fitting since he was beginning to believe that these _adorable_ babies were out for his head. One year of torture would convince anyone of that...

"Spyro, I know you are awake. I saw you look up when I first called to you."

Spyro gave up all hope he would get to enjoy his rest and sat up to look at the elder dragon with regret. Peace and quiet were indeed only concepts found in dreams anymore.

"See? That wasn't too bad, was it?" Astor said with a grin forming on his face.

Spyro sighed. "That's easy for you to say, I'm the one that's gotta go back into battle."

Astor chuckled, "Oh, Spyro, the children aren't that bad. I just need you to help Nestor watch over a few of them while I go and handle some business."

"What business could possibly be so important?"

"Well, if you really must know," Astor shrugged happily, "I need to check for a book in the Dark Hollow Archives."

Spyro groaned, "Is a book really that important?"

"Yes, it is," Astor said impatiently, "Now, be a good dragon and go do like I asked. Please. Besides, you know how much they all adore you!"

"Yeah, that's what scares me…"

Spyro set forth as if staring death in the face. Sparx, with his golden glow, buzzed happily beside him.

"Oh, cheer up, Spyro! You've faced much more dangerous challenges than dragon-sitting," Sparx buzzed happily to his friend, "You'll be fine!"

"Hey, don't give me that, Sparx. You know full well how frustrating they can be."

"Well sure, I guess you have been injured less times fighting our enemies than watching a bunch of hatchlings," Sparx conceded, "but at least the babies don't actually _mean_ to try and kill you."

Spyro laughed half-heartedly, "That's what you think? You and I have very different views of their intentions, little buddy."

The pair turned the corner to find Nestor surrounded by half-a-dozen little hatchlings. He spotted them and smiled as they approached. Spyro could tell that Nestor wasn't just smiling to be friendly.

"Ah, it is good to see you, Spyro! I knew that Astor would find you."

Spyro sighed, "Yeah, he found me… I need to find a better hiding spot next time."

Nestor chuckled, "Oh, come now, you'll be fine. I only need you to watch over them for, let's say, five or so minutes? "

"Wait, you're not going to help me?" Spyro panicked, "That wasn't part of the deal!"

"Like I said, you'll be fine!" Nestor repeated. "After all that you've been through, I'm sure five minutes with some baby dragons will be simple. Now, all I need to do is go and fetch George. We were supposed to be watching him, too."

Spyro watched with a sinking feeling as Nestor disappeared into the tunnel that he himself had just exited. He supposed he should have expected this. It always turned out this way, where the older dragons would drop their duties on him while they went to cherish their breaks. It's not that Spyro hated work, or that he disliked helping others when they needed it, but he needed a break himself, which was impossible when everyone sought him out for their own breaks. And like every other time, it would end up with him being here alone with the little creatures that haunted his nightmares.

"Are you just going to stand there and stare at them?" Sparx asked.

"No, of course not," Spyro lied. The hatchlings hadn't quite noticed he was there yet. If he could just stand there quietly and pretend he wasn't there, then maybe there was a chance…

"Spawo!"

And then the chance was dead. Spyro sighed and put on a smile as best he could and walked forward. He noticed little Stephanie had been the one to call out his name, or try to, at least. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad! He liked Stephanie. She chewed on him less than the others.

Five minutes flew by like it was nothing. For the most part, the hatchlings had kept to themselves, and Spyro had laid himself back against the trunk of a nice, shady tree. This was nice, besides the fact Sparx kept assisting on how he told him about this job not being a problem. Yeah, Spyro admitted, this had been much less worse than he imagined it would be, but did Sparx have to go and ruin his peace?

After a moment, Spyro closed his eyes in an attempt to let dreams take his mind away. Peace and quiet, at last...

"Spyro!"

His eyes shot open again and he growled, "I'm never going to get this nap, am I?"

He looked around for the source of the call and found Nestor frantically chasing after a flying baby dragon—George.

"Spyro, I could really use your assistance!" Nestor called out as he jumped after George. The baby twirled through his grasp and giggled playfully, leaving Nestor face down in the grass.

"I think we should help him, Spyro." Sparx suggested.

Spyro groaned, "Alright, alright… I'll handle this. _Again._"

He bounded after the baby, jumping over the downed Nestor. This was not his first run-in with little George. Having hatched from the egg tipped atop the Sorceress' staff, it was believed that some magic had rubbed off on the little hatchling. The result was a little speed demon of a baby with the stamina fit for legend; and unlike the other hatchlings who could hover for only a few moments at a time, George could probably fly a marathon—and win.

Spyro was closing in, his eyes focused on the speedy little dragon. "George! I know you're having fun and all, but playtime is over!"

George looked behind him and, finally noticing Spyro, gave a joyful laugh. He looked forward and lowered his head as he focused on a distant tree. Spyro had chased the troublesome baby enough times to recognize a charge when he saw it. "George, no!" George's wings buzzed as he jolted toward his destination. Spyro gritted his teeth. "No! Bad George! Get back here!"

The hatchling disappeared in a shower of leaves as he decided to start a game of hide-and-seek in the tree. Spyro stopped at the base and searched the canopy for any fluttering of reddish wings, or the clear giveaway of an albino scale. "There he is!" Spyro exclaimed in relief, "Okay, Sparx, here's the plan. You go up there and get his attention. Make sure he's distracted, got it?" Sparx nodded and gave a tiny salute, flying up into the branches.

Once he heard the happy giggle of the baby, Spyro snuck to the backside of the trunk and fastened his claws into the bark of the tree. He'd never really climbed a tree before, but how hard could it be? He'd seen a cat do it once. As he climbed, he felt the bark cracking under his weight. He quickly sought another claw hold, finding one just as the bark of his previous hold crumbled and fell to the ground. The rest of the climb was slow, and agonizing on his poor claws, but he was nearing the top. Finally, he saw George, his back turned to him. He also saw Sparx, his golden glow faded to a shade of blue as he was crushed in a baby death-hug.

"Sparx!"

George looked around, startled, and took off.

"Oh no you don't, not this time!" Spyro said through gritted teeth and jumped after the baby, leaving a disorientated Sparx behind. He allowed his wings to carry him as he flapped after the hatchling. George had slowed down a bit, and Spyro was closing in. His wings were wearing out without the assistance of a magic gate to grant him the stamina he needed. He was upon George before the baby looked back and gasped. Spyro closed his forelegs around the hatchling as his wings gave out. He desperately tried to flap them, but they were too tired. He fell from the sky in an erratic spin. He wouldn't be able to stop himself from crashing!

Spyro inhaled sharply and rotated himself backwards. He had barely braced for the impact when it came, knocking every bit of breath out of him. In that moment, he couldn't remember exactly what was going on, but he just knew he had to keep his forelegs wrapped around the bundle clutched to his chest, no matter what urge he had to try to stop himself. He bounced off the ground a couple of times before rolling over and settling onto his side.

George emerged from Spyro's grasp with wide eyes, before finally laughing as if he had been on the best rollercoaster of his life.

"Spyro, my goodness, are you alright?" Nestor said, arriving by his side. He quickly picked the hysterical George off the ground and kneeled by Spyro's side.

"H-huh?" Spyro said, lifting himself slowly up. "Oh, y-yeah… I think? Where's Sparx?"

"Spyro!" The familiar squeak of Sparx's voice called, "That was reckless! You could have gotten hurt!"

Spyro laughed through a wince, "Think it's a little too late for that warning, buddy." He got up and shook himself off and noticed George. "Oh, good, you got that little monster."

Nestor clicked his tongue. "Now, Spyro, George is just a baby."

"I know, I know…" Spyro grinned through another wince. "He may be a little monster, but he's _our _little monster. Just… be a little less of one for a while so I can maybe get some rest. Which reminds me," Spyro said and turned around, "I'm currently not taking calls right now, so if you have any more baby troubles… Go find somebody else."

With Sparx in tow, Spyro limped away to find a nice shady tree to collapse under.

* * *

Night had already come by the time Spyro stirred from his slumber. He still felt soreness throughout his body, though sleep had helped to numb the pain somewhat. For a while he tossed around in search of a comfortable position to continue his rest but eventually gave up and resigned himself to staring up through the canopy of the tree he had chosen to shelter him. The night was clear and a hint of the star-strewn sky shown through the leaves.

It was comfortable that night, with the cool air penetrating his muscles and helping to remedy his ailments. It was also quiet, with only the softest buzz coming from the dimmed golden glow of Sparx next to him. Spyro supposed he had gone to hunt for a butterfly to heal his own wounds sustained at the clutches of George earlier. He smiled at his little friend. He had been reckless that day, just like many days, and it had worried Sparx. Even after the scolding that he would always give, Sparx would always stay by his side, even when he would lead them into unnecessary danger. He was lucky to have Sparx as a friend.

Spyro sighed. He was lucky to have all the friends he had made, especially those outside of the Dragon Realms. As much of a pain as the hatchlings were, he still loved them, and he wouldn't have been able to get them all back without the help of the friends he had made last year. Sheila, using her powerful legs, jumped through obstacles that he himself would have found difficult to navigate with his inability for sustained flight. Sgt. Byrd, with his strategic wit and arsenal, helped take out enemy strongholds that he would have found tiresome to take on by himself. Bentley, with his massive strength, could unblock any obstacle and render even the toughest enemies incapable of fighting back. Heck, even Agent 9, whom Spyro would never have the energy to keep up with, had done a fantastic job infiltrating the heart of enemy bases and taking them out from the inside. They had all been such a great help, and Spyro wondered where he would be now without them.

Then there was Bianca… Once someone Spyro disliked for the part she played in the whole ordeal, she had grown on him. She had proven to be just another pawn that the Sorceress would play and discard if it meant furthering her own plans, and Bianca had surely been played. She had gained his trust and proved just how worthwhile she was to have on his side. In the end, she really wasn't so bad, even if she had somehow seduced Hunter into falling in love with her.

Spyro smiled. Hunter had been around for quite a while now, and through all the troubles since Spyro's first encounter with Ripto, he had been a great help. Granted, Hunter had also hindered him several times, and his competitive nature had sidetracked Spyro more times than he'd care to think about. Still, Hunter was a great guy, and someone he was happy to consider one of his best friends.

The Professor, although someone he didn't speak to often enough due to his research projects, was indispensable in Spyro's efforts to get back to the Dragon Realms. The Professor's mind lent itself greatly in his fight with Ripto, as well as in his battle with the Sorceress not long after. Spyro never would have thought the idea of being "captured" by anyone would lead to him meeting the Professor, Hunter, and Elora.

And speaking of Elora… She had been his biggest cheerleader since the very first day he met her. She was always so nice to him, always ready to help him, and always on his side. She had gone out of her way on more than one occasion to make sure he was happy, and for that level of care, he would be forever grateful. He was happy for any chance he could get to go visit her in Avalar, and he had promised a year ago that he would visit again soon. He frowned in frustration. Then the hatchlings became much more of a clawful, and he just could not make time to visit again. Though he was sure she would understand, part of him feared her being angry at him.

He sighed and rolled over onto his side, closing his eyes in the hopes of finding sleep once again. A voice crept its way into his ears. He wanted to block them out, but something about their voice seemed unfamiliar.

"Yes, she should go, too." The voice was distant, like the other, but this one Spyro recognized.

"Zoe?" Spyro said quietly, raising his head and looking off into the distance. He saw little orbs of light penetrating the dark by wands held by two fairies. Zoe must have been one of them.

Spyro crouched low to the ground and stepped silently closer to the gathering for a better look. There was no reason why fairies should be here this late at night. What were they doing? Who should go, and where?

He crawled up to a set of bushes and hid behind them, focusing on the voices of the fairies.

"How about this one?" The unfamiliar voice asked.

"No," Zoe said, "That's a little boy dragon. I thought you did your research before volunteering for this job, Claire."

"I did!" The fairy named Claire exclaimed quietly, "But reading about dragons and actually seeing them is totally different."

Spyro peaked out over the top of the bushes. Zoe was easy to pick out with her red hair and favorite yellow dress that made her glow like Sparx did. The other fairy, who must have been Claire, allowed her blonde hair to flow freely down to her shoulders. She wore a green dress that was a bit more simple than Zoe's Avalar style.

The two fairies made their way down a line of sleeping hatchlings. It was strange, thought Spyro, that they would just be lined up like that. No time that he could think of would any dragon put their kids to bed like that… What was going on?

A group of four other fairies flew in and landed next to the line of dragons.

Zoe turned to the leader of the group and smiled, "Ellie, as quick as always!"

Ellie held the look of a fairy who was ready to work, with her light brown hair in a braid going halfway down her back. She wore a dress much the same color as Zoe's, but with a design similar to Claire's. Like Zoe's, the dress glowed radiantly like a healthy dragonfly.

Ellie smiled back with a mock salute and giggled. "Just doing my job, Zoe! You have the next batch of females picked out?"

Zoe nodded, "I do." She indicated a group of four babies pulled off to the side. "Those four are ready to be taken."

Spyro's eyes widened. _Taken?_ The fairies were supposed to be the greatest allies of the dragons, and yet they were snooping around in the middle of the night and kidnapping little dragons? Spyro grit his teeth and shot out from behind the bushes. "Hey! Stop right there!"

Ellie and her group shrieked and dashed into the air out of Spyro's reach as he shot flames toward them. The fairies that followed Ellie fled, leaving her alone in the sky.

"Spyro!" Zoe said in a panic, "What are you doing up?"

"It doesn't matter why I'm up," Spyro growled, "What matters is why the heck you're taking the hatchlings!"

Claire came to Zoe's defense, "We have a job to do, little dragon. Now why not go along and go back to sle—Eeeep!" She squeaked as Spyro spat a warning shot of flame at her.

"Spyro, you need to calm yourself down, okay?" Zoe pleaded. "We hate that we have to do this, but it's for their own good!"

"_Their _own good? How is taking babies from their parents for their own good?"

"Oh," Zoe said in a shock, "They never told you, did they?"

"Told me what?" Spyro asked irritably.

"Female dragons must be kept separate from the rest," Zoe said sadly.

"Why? That makes no sense! You're the reason there are no female dragons?" Spyro asked.

"But there are, Spyro, someplace where they can be safe. Have you never wondered why there were no adult females around here?" Zoe asked.

Spyro sat down, "Well I, umm, I always just assumed that there were no female dragons... I mean, fairies have brought eggs to us for as long as I can remember…"

Ellie flew down and examined him. "Well, that couldn't have been very long. You're still so young! This must have been the first hatching event you've experienced outside of hatching yourself."

"No, Ellie, he's too old for that to be the case," Claire suggested, "That would put him at thirteen years of age. He'd practically still be a baby at that point! No, I'd say he has seen two Year of the Dragon Festivals. So, I would say he's got to be twenty-five."

"Uh, yeah…" Spyro said slowly. "You've got it."

Claire whooped and smiled at Zoe, "See? I told you I studied!"

"Okay, look," Spyro said, "It doesn't matter how old or young I am. I just want answers because no one around here thought I should know, even whenever I asked questions."

Zoe nodded and landed in front of Spyro. She motioned for the others to do the same. "Okay, Spyro. You saved all these little ones, so it's only fair that you know why we have to do this…

"Thousands of years ago, the lands that dragons inhabited were vast, and their population was just as vast. But that all changed when an infliction hit dragonkind," Zoe said.

Claire nodded, "Yup! It acted like a disease just popped up and really attacked the female population. It was very weird! It wasn't just random, though. Turns out it was only the females that came in contact with their loved ones—you know, the males."

Zoe nodded, "That's right. Those females grew ill, and soon after, they died."

"Fairies helped all we could," Ellie said, "But we had no clue what was going on. We had to act fast if we wanted to save the dragon population… After all, even if all the males survived, with no females to lay their eggs, dragonkind would be living on borrowed time."

And that's why there are no females here now." Zoe sighed. "Like Ellie said, we were running out of time, and so we had to do something drastic. We led all the surviving females far away from here, to a secret place where no males would find them. I know, it sounds terrible, but us fairies had to ensure that they would be safe. If a male went searching for them, he would risk killing them all."

Spyro sat stunned. He took a moment to arrange his thoughts before saying, "So, then they lay their eggs and…"

"And then we bring them back here," Zoe finished, "Yes. The fathers would receive their eggs, and they would care for them until they hatched."

"But," Spyro interrupted, "Shouldn't the girls just die when they hatch? Why isn't that the case?"

"Honestly, I don't actually know…" Zoe said.

"It's something we never figured out," Ellie added.

"I was thinking about this when I read about it," Claire chimed in. "If it were just a disease that was passing through the generations, then wouldn't it affect them from within the egg?"

"Well, yes—" Zoe tried to respond.

"Then, what if it's something that needed time to manifest itself?" Claire suggested. "Something like… I don't know, magic?"

Ellie gasped, "That would be dark and powerful magic indeed if that were the case. No, I don't think anything would be powerful enough to cause something like that. Diseases are strange things, and what happened to dragonkind is indeed strange."

"Whether it was caused by disease or by magic…" Zoe cut in, "We don't know how to fix it, so this is how things are."

Spyro looked over toward the sleeping hatchlings and slumped. "So, you really have to take them, huh?"

Zoe nodded softly and placed a hand on Spyro's shoulder. "I'm afraid so. If we don't take them now, then soon these little girls will grow ill and die. They need to be with their mothers."

"Mothers," Spyro blinked and looked up at her, "Wait, then do you know who my mom was?"

Zoe looked to her two companions and shook her head lightly. "Spyro, your mother… I mean, you wouldn't be able to see her because of the illness."

"I know, I know." Spyro said. "I was just curious. I never really thought about having a mom. I just assumed fairies used their magic to create the eggs or whatever… I don't know, it sounds dumb now that I think about it."

"Oh, Spyro," Zoe smiled. "You're not dumb. You just didn't know any better."

"I'm actually shocked," Claire said, "I thought Astor at least would tell you. I mean, he'd be able to tell you everything that we told you, and more…"

"Claire, shh!" Zoe whispered. "I mean, Astor is old and his memory isn't what it used to be, so I doubt he'd be able to tell Spyro _that_ much." Zoe fluttered her wings and hovered in the air right above Spyro, "Well, we need to finish this before the night is over. We've taken so much time already!"

"Oh, y-yeah, I guess you're right…" Spyro sighed and got up.

Zoe frowned and placed a hand on his cheek, "I know this is hard, but they need this. I just want you to know that you saved their lives, Spyro, and I know they will never forget it."

Spyro nodded softly and turned away from the fairies. "Yeah, I guess. You do what you've gotta do, Zoe. I… I don't want to be here to see it."

Zoe called out good night, and Spyro answered it half-heartedly.

He slowly made his way back across the field toward the tree he had been sleeping under. All around him orbs of light floated into the sky with little packages in tow. Spyro turned his attention to the ground, not wanting to think about what those packages were. He had learned a lot that night, and almost none of it good.

Dragonkind was living a terrible existence, having to trade offspring back and forth between parents who may have never even met. With mothers never knowing if they would see their child again, and fathers finding out after the eggs hatched whether their time with their child would be severely limited or not. It was just not a way for any species to live, let alone dragons.

Spyro arrived under the tree. Sparx was still there, his glow dimmed by sleep. He laid down beside his little buddy and looked up at the stars through the canopy.

His _mother_. He had never even thought about having parents. He had been so naive to think that fairies just made the eggs that gave them hatchlings, but as Ellie and Claire said, he was still so young. He guessed that gave him license to be a little naive about things. He had never met her, but he found he had a longing for his mother. His father abandoned him soon after he had hatched, so his mom was all he had left in the world, at least as far as Spyro was concerned.

He rolled over. The fairies had said that they had never figured out how to fix the problem that dragons faced, but there must be some solution. Spyro gasped, causing Sparx to stir in his sleep. The fairies didn't know, but maybe the Professor could figure it out! Tomorrow he would make his way back to Avalar to see his friends and see if they could help him on this new quest. He also couldn't wait to see Elora again, just so long as she didn't try to kill him for his unkept promiise. Spyro smirked and wiggled himself into a comfortable position to let sleep take him away.

Whatever happened tonight, he knew tomorrow could only be better.


	2. Chapter 02 - Reunions

**Chapter Two: Reunions**

The portal rippled around Spyro, enveloping him in a substance like water, yet it never seemed to touch him, as if a bubble had formed tightly around every curve of his body. The sensation was as if he jumped into a pool of glacier-melt, but maintained his dryness. He could never get used to the feeling, but it was not unpleasant. If anything it was doing wonders on his sore muscles, helping to massage the remaining aches away. It only lasted for a moment before the sunlight of Summer Forest hit his eyes. A final chill shook him as the rest of his body pushed through the portal.

"That never gets old!" Sparx buzzed happily beside him.

Spyro just grinned at him and took a step forward. Summer Forest stood tall around them, with its intricate, carved stone structures almost blending seamlessly with the woods. The lands of Avalar were always so beautiful, and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't missed its serene nature.

There was just something about Avalar that reminded him of home. Maybe it was that fairies had a connection to this place just as they did with the dragon realms. After all, Zoe did call this land her home. Spyro couldn't place a claw on what the similarities were, but just by being here for a moment he could clearly tell one difference in that the craziness usually associated with the dragons was not present. It was calm and quiet, save for the chirping of birds and the musical tone of wind chimes somewhere in the distance. This moment was the very definition of peace and quiet, something that Spyro nearly died the previous day to achieve. He shook his head with a grin. Maybe it wasn't that bad, but those hatchlings really could murder tranquility and not feel bad about it. Spyro frowned, snapping himself away from his thoughts. There was no time to dawdle, he had to find the professor.

Spyro came to a tunnel with a switch attached to the wall on the left side. While he had seen plenty of machinery and other more advanced forms of technology through his travels, he knew the majority of Avalar savored a more simple life, away from the buzz and hum of machines. Just a simple powered door like this one proved he was getting close to his target. He blew a puff of flame at the switch and smiled as it responded with a green glow. Whether he intended it not, the Professor was brilliant to design these switches to trigger from extreme elements, and Spyro was thankful for the convenience that awarded him.

The duo continued their leisurely pace through the tunnel, which opened to another expanse of forest, though this area was protected by a stone wall… something about conservation, he recalled Elora telling him once. The forest here sat at a lower elevation, and the immediate vicinity around the tunnel mouth was clear. It provided a clear view of the entire area, including a relatively small shack on the far side of the woods, stuffed into a corner of the walled area. The shack stood out like a sore claw, with an architectural design that contrasted with everything around it, and a glittering set of panels on its roof that reflected the sun's beams with blinding efficiency.

"Do you think the Professor will be there?" Sparx asked.

The Professor had labs all over Avalar, and even some outside of Avalar. His lab in Summer Forest was actually pretty tiny compared to some of the others that Spyro had seen, but he was pretty sure the pull of Elora's offers to help would be more than enough for the Professor to resist.

Spyro smiled. "I sure do, bud. C'mon, let's go say hello!"

The distance may have seemed far from up on the hill, but a little flight could help trivialize any distance. Spyro landed on the ground outside the lab and approached the opened door. As he drew closer, voices came into earshot.

"—blasters… I can't keep repairing your tools. It is much too costly."

"Oh, c'mon Professor! You know I need my blasters if I'm going to be successful in my mission."

"If I'm not mistaken, Agent 9, you don't currently have a mission."

"But I _could_! You never know when a mission could pop up, do ya? Huh huh huh? If could be tomorrow, it could be today! You just never know, and that's why I need my darn blaster. You know, just… in case."

"Fine, fine!" the Professor said, "Hand it here."

Sparx looked up at Spyro and, with a laugh, said, "I think the Professor's busy!"

"Oooh, what was that?" Spyro could hear the excitement in Agent 9's voice. "I think we've been compromised. Don't worry, Professor, you just keep fixing my blaster. I'll… improvise!"

"No! Don't take that!"

Not a moment had passed before a monkey came swinging through the doorway with a power drill grasped in his right hand. He aimed the tool around frantically before spotting the _threat_.

Agent 9 gasped. "Spyro! My man, what brings you out of hibernation, or whatever you dragons do? Huh? Or were you sitting on your giant pile of treasure, hoarding over it for the past year? Or maybe you were laying waste to some village, or guarding over a princess in a tower, or—"

"Agent 9!" Spyro shouted, forcibly, but not unkind, "I'm going to ignore all the stereotypical and slightly insulting things you said and just let you know that I've been, uh, watching over the hatchlings."

Agent 9 blinked at Spyro once before doubling over in a rage of laughter, "Wait, you've been missing for a whole _year_ because you were b-b-babysitting?!"

"Hey!" Spyro said defensively, "You try watching over a hundred hatchlings and tell me how that works out for you!"

"Ignore him, Spyro," The Professor said, walking out the door. "He's just trying to distract himself from the fact he broke his blaster by accidentally running it over with a vehicle."

"Hey!" Agent 9 shouted, turning and pointing a finger at the Professor. "I needed a quick getaway, and I didn't realize I dropped my blaster!"

"I can see that, but really, Agent 9… A farm tractor?" The Professor chuckled.

Agent 9 huffed past the Professor, back inside. "Whatever, just fix my blaster so I can get back to work."

The Professor smiled as the frustrated monkey passed him and then turned to Spyro, "It is good to see you again, Spyro! I'm sure Elora will feel the same way."

Spyro perked up, "Elora? Is she here?"

"I'm afraid not at the moment. I've sent her on an errand to pick up a list of ingredients for an experiment I want to run on a new hair-loss-reversal ointment. Just an idea I had in a dream last night." The Professor beamed.

"Oh, well, uh, good luck with that!"

"Oh, where are my manners?" The Professor said suddenly, "Please, come in and make yourself comfortable while you wait for Elora."

"Actually, Professor…" Spyro started, "I had a problem that I thought maybe you could help me with."

"Oh, I see!" The Professor said, motioning him inside. "Well, I'll be happy to help you however I can! Agent 9's blaster should be a simple fix, seeing as I've fixed it so often that I don't require the schematic anymore. You can tell me all about your problem as I work."

Spyro followed the Professor inside the single-roomed shack-of-a-lab and immediately noticed a difference from his last visit here. The Professor was typically the type to have everything organized in a way that made his work the most efficient, even if others could not decipher it. Spyro could not begin to determine how anything set up in that lab would be used, or even if they could be used. Instead of a laboratory, this workspace looked more akin to a repair shop, with random tools scattered across metal tables. The walls held pinned-up schematics for various objects, all of which Spyro recognized as something that Agent 9 once used. He struggled to hold back a chuckle. The poor Professor had been kept busy while he was away.

Spyro found a nice chair that wasn't occupied by boxes or books and hopped up to watch the work.

"Now then, where did I put that screwdriver?" The Professor asked, searching his workstation. "Hmm, I thought I had put it down here…"

He searched under books and random, rolled up schematics, as well as on the floor surrounding the table. He checked all the pockets of his lab coat and also the toolbox next to his chair. He grew frustrated. "I can't find it anywhere! I swear if it was those darn squirrels again. Just one mention of 'nuts and bolts' when they are close by, and they believe that the nuts are food! Then they also take the bolts. It's almost like it's less about food, and more about grabbing anything that's shiny now..."

"Oooh, you have a squirrel problem, huh?" Agent 9 asked, still holding the power drill in his hand. "Well, I can take care of that little issue once you've fixed my blaster!" He began aiming at random objects in the room, the motor of the drill powering on in pulses every time Agent 9 pulled the trigger.

"Give me that!" The Professor demanded, snatching the drill from the monkey's hands. He placed it down on the table and exhaled his frustrations. "And you will do no such thing. If you hurt any of the innocent, albeit sometimes infuriating, creatures of this forest, Elora will kill us both.

"Oh, is Elora really the type that puts random creatures' welfare above all else?" Agent 9 snickered.

The Professor shook his head. "No, but keep in mind that this area is protected because of overhunting. She will not hesitate to prevent any imbalances from arising. And if you're the source, well…"

"Okay, okay! I get it. Don't make faun lady angry. Will do!" Agent 9 saluted. "Or maybe that was won't do…"

The Professor shook his head and trained his gaze back to his work. He eyed the blaster on the table, and then the power drill beside it and shrugged. "Well, it is a bit overkill for such a small repair job, but I suppose I'm left with no alternatives." He picked up the drill, tested it to ensure it still functioned, and set to work on the blaster.

Spyro continued to sit and watch, waiting for the Professor to turn to him and ask for his issue. A short time later, Sparx buzzed quietly in his ear.

"No," Spyro whispered, "I think he may have forgotten about me…"

The Professor snapped up from his work and looked at Spyro. "Oh, I am so sorry, Spyro! After that earlier exchange with Agent 9, it must have slipped my mind that you were seeking help. Please, go ahead and tell me what I can help you with. I'm all ears!"

"Well," Spyro began, "It has to do with Dragonkind. More specifically with why there are only male dragons around now."

The Professor stopped what he was doing and turned to Spyro, a glint of fascination in his eyes. "That is a question that has popped up in my mind several times in the past when dealing with some of the older members of your kind. Any time I would ask about it, they would suddenly turn less friendly towards me… Surprised I'm still alive after the, um, reception I got from that last encounter…"

"Yeah, it's a bit of a touchy subject, but one that I actually hadn't put much thought into until yesterday," Spyro paused for a moment. "There are female dragons. They exist. I don't know if you have seen any of the dragon hatchlings, but there are little girl dragons alongside the little boy ones. And they aren't really rare." Spyro said.

"Ooooh yeah!" Agent 9 cut in, "I think I remember one that looked a bit like a girl… or was it still a boy? I can't really tell the difference between all you dragons. No offense. But I think it looked a bit more feminine, maybe!"

"Thanks," Spyro grumbled, "Anyways, when I got to thinking about it last year when I was saving the eggs, that's when the realization hit me that there are no adult females, but probably like half the eggs hatched into baby girls. So, if they're not rare, then where did the adults go?"

The Professor rubbed his chin, "Well, that is quite observant of you, Spyro. I would say I'm surprised, but I think we've all learned to not underestimate your abilities. As for your question…" The Professor looked at several stacks of books around the lab. "I believe I've got a book around here somewhere about dragon lore and history, but I'm not sure if it would have the answers you're looking for."

Spyro lightly shook his head. "Well, that's the thing, I know what happened to them. At least, I might have a lead."

Spyro told the Professor about his encounter with the fairies, and about the theories they could come up with for the dragon's plight.

After some time, the Professor finally finished with Agent 9's blaster and gave it back to him, insisting he be more careful in the future. Spyro was pretty sure the good Agent didn't listen to his words as he was hugging his blaster like one would a stuffed animal.

The Professor shook his head in resignation and turned to Spyro. "Well, I honestly cannot say for sure what has happened to your kind. If it is caused from long-lasting illness, then that would likely mean it's more of a genetic defect rather than an actual disease, seeing as how it is passed on from parent to child. The good news on that front is that science can easily determine that with testing. If it is genetic, I am no expert at repairing such an issue, but I could, with time, learn and apply that knowledge. However, even if that were the case, I don't think you would really see the effects until the next generation of dragons were born.

"If the cause is magical in nature, then it is very iffy what I would be able to do to help. Magic has defied all logic many times in the past, and I'm willing to wager this would be no different."

The weight of the world seemed to grow heavier as Spyro couldn't help but stare at the ground.

"That being said, Spyro," The Professor said, patting the young dragon's shoulder, "I'm positive I can at least find something on dragon history. If we can pinpoint exactly when this problem arose, then we will be able to plan our next steps. Whether it be genetics or magical in nature, we will then perhaps have an answer to—oh."

Behind him, Spyro heard the sound of metal hitting the ground. He turned around and saw a bucket rolling around on its side in a semicircle on the ground, its contents spilling green over the floor. Spyro looked up and saw Elora in the doorway, she looked surprised, but a giant smile was forming across her face.

Spyro chuckled nervously, "Oh, h-hey Elor—oof!"

Elora had closed the distance between the two of them and wrapped the little dragon in a hug that betrayed her strength.

The moment seemed to last for an eternity before Agent 9's snicker pulled Elora away. She cleared her throat awkwardly, but she still smiled down at Spyro. "Hey, Spyro… It's been a while."

"That much is obvious!" Agent 9 laughed.

Elora returned an evil stare at the monkey, shutting him up in an instant. She took a breath before smiling back at Spyro. "What took you so long to come visit? It's been a year!"

Spyro was dreading this moment. Before he could work up the courage to respond, the Professor interrupted.

"Not to be rude, but I really must have some quiet if I'm going to figure out what's happening to the dragons."

"Wait, what do you mean?" "Elora began, "Happening? What's going on?"

"For the time being, I must search through this mess of books for anything that will assist me in my research. Spyro, I'll be sure to let you know first thing when I find out anything that may be beneficial to you."

"Thanks, Professor!" Spyro smiled and looked up at Elora, "I'll catch you up on everything."

Elora nodded slowly before looking back at the Professor. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Always the eager one to help," The Professor smiled and shook his head. "No, I should be fine on my own, Elora. Besides it does sound like you and Spyro have some catching up to do. Go on and take a break for the rest of the day. I think you've more than earned it."

"Thanks, Professor!" Elora smiled widely and turned to Spyro. "Okay, let's go!"

* * *

Spyro and Elora walked through the Summer Forest in relative quiet. Wind played through the canopy of the trees above them that sent the shade dancing on the packed dirt path before them. Besides windsong, a quiet, rhythmic buzz would grow louder as Sparx moved in closer to him. Spyro glanced over at Sparx, who returned a questioning gaze at him before nodding over at Elora. Spyro shook his head and listened for the buzz of Sparx's wings to grow faint again. Spyro shot a glance over to Elora, who seemed to be enjoying the serenity of the woods.

It was too quiet between them… Was Elora angry with him over the whole _one year_ thing or not? She seemed happy to see him back at the Professor's lab, but she did ask if she could help the Professor instead of hanging out with him. Was that so she could get away from him? Or was it just a typical Elora who always sought to help out?

Spyro sighed quietly to himself. What had gotten over him? Of course Elora was fine with him! If she was displeased about something, she would let it be known. Hunter was evidence enough of that. Still, what if… No! Everything was fine. All he had to do was initiate a conversation and things would be fine. Easier said than done; he had seen people on her wrong side. While she was never mean or rude, he still feared being the subject of her annoyance.

Spyro shook himself out of his thoughts. He looked back at Elora, who was now looking at him like he was something strange.

"Are you okay?" Elora asked.

"Who, me?" Spyro chuckled overly-lightly, "Of course! I'm totally fine."

Elora let a slight smile escape her. "Well, I can't say I believe that. You're all fidgety. What's bothering you?"

Spyro exhaled heavily, not realizing he had been holding his breath. "I don't know… I was just kinda worried that, ya know, you were, umm…"

"Mad at you?" Elora asked.

Spyro looked up at her in surprise. "Y-yeah."

Elora laughed softly. "Oh, Spyro. Why would I be angry with you? If you're worried about you never coming to visit sooner, I understand!"

"You do?"

"Of course I do!" Elora smiled. "You're, well, you! The bravest, most determined, little dragon I know… Well, the only one I really _know_, but still. You have done things no other dragons have done, at least not for a long time. So, I wouldn't be surprised if some new bad guy just showed up and you had to go off and save the day again."

"Oh, right!" Spyro chuckled nervously, "Yeah, the day always needs saving in the Dragon Lands…"

Sparx buzzed up beside him and laughed. "I think you just needed saving from a bunch of baby dragons."

"Oh! You've been babysitting?" Elora smiled even wider.

"How did you… Oh, I forgot you can understand Sparx…" Spyro sighed.

"Yup, I can. Also, babysitting isn't so bad! I think it's nice that you care so much for them!"

"Yeah, well, if they could return the favor, that'd be great."

As Elora led the way down the winding path, Spyro opened up more about his time with the hatchlings. Thinking back on it, he could even laugh at himself over how he must've looked chasing after and failing to capture them when they escaped from the sight of their caretakers. It was like herding sheep, if the sheep were crafty and had wings.

Elora finally led Spyro through a pack of overgrown bushes, revealing a large lake.

Spyro ran out in the clearing in awe. "Whoa, I never knew this was here!"

Elora smiled fondly at the scene. "Yeah, this is what I call my little slice of heaven. It's just beautiful in every way."

Trees wrapped around the lake, creating a thin, green border on the far side. There were multiple tiny islands standing out in the middle of the water. Spyro noticed the large wall that had been present before was now gone. He must have been out of it earlier because he couldn't recall leaving the confines of the conservation area.

Elora found a shady place beneath a tree to sit and rest. Spyro did the same and sat down beside her.

She sighed in satisfaction of the view and leaned back on her hands. "Well, I'm glad everything has been good for you, Spyro. That's all that matters in the end."

Spyro looked out at the water, too, his smile vanishing. "I'm not here because of the good, though, Elora. Yesterday the fairies came in and took half of the hatchlings away."

Elora sat straight and gave Spyro a disbelieving look. "No way. The fairies couldn't just do that without a reason…"

"They had a reason," Spyro said, "Turns out there's something affecting Dragonkind. I don't know how I didn't notice it sooner, but there's a reason why female dragons don't exist in the Dragon Lands. It's not because they don't exist, it's that they can't survive alongside males. Some disease or something… The fairies moved them all into isolation somewhere far away from here. So, when they came to take the babies—"

"They took only the females…" Elora finished in a whisper.

Spyro nodded.

Elora wrapped him in a hug. "I'm so sorry, Spyro. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I don't really know," Spyro answered, pulling away from the hug. "The Professor said he's going to look into it for me."

Elora gave a small, reassuring smile to him. "You know, if anyone can figure it out, it's the Professor! I think you're in good hands."

Spyro smiled back. Before he could answer, though, the sun's rays reflected down from the trees above at an odd angle. Spyro glanced up and noticed the glint of a long, thin, metallic object in the forelegs of a little rodent. "No way… It really was a squirrel?"

"A squirrel…" Elora looked up and behind her. "Hey, isn't that the Professor's?"

Spyro got up and stretched. "You bet it is. The Professor wasn't happy when he couldn't find his screwdriver, so I think he'd be relieved to have it back!" He paused for a moment, remembering what the Professor had said earlier about unnecessary violence toward the creatures of the area. He looked at Elora awkwardly. "I, um, I won't hurt it."

Elora laughed. "Has he been telling you what I would do if anyone hurt the animals here? I know how nature works. It can be brutal. I said 'unnecessary or mindless' violence. You know, like hunting just for the sport of it. I do appreciate the thought, though, Spyro. Obviously don't hurt it if you don't have to!"

Spyro smiled and nodded, jumping up into the trees after the tool thief. He made a mental note to make peace with sheep, as he was pretty sure his past antics involving them could sometimes fall under the category of _sport_.

He landed on a branch and looked around for the sun to give away any hint of metal amongst the leaves. In the tree across from him he found his target as it disappeared behind its trunk. He grinned and hopped across. He was thankful that they were still so low to the ground that the limbs were wide enough for him to keep his balance without too much of an issue. He snuck across the branch toward the trunk in the center, hopping from limb to limb as he needed. The squirrel was gone when he got to his destination. Spyro growled softly. The approach he had used yesterday for George was just not going to work this time.

He took to the air, flying through the canopy and dodging limbs and leaves alike. The squirrel had to be somewhere... There! Out on the edge of one of the branches, away from any others was the squirrel. Spyro landed on the branch and walked toward the little creature.

"Okay, little buddy… I just want the screwdriver back, then you can go." Spyro said as he closed the distance. He expected the squirrel to start panicking, but it was oddly calm, looking at him almost daringly. The screwdriver was held in its tiny mouth securely, though it looked as if it would throw the squirrel off its balance.

Spyro took one more step, and then the squirrel quickly looked away and jumped. It spread its front and hind legs out and caught the wind, gliding to a faraway branch.

"Seriously? You can fly?!" Spyro grit his teeth and followed after the squirrel. If it wasn't going to give in easily, then Spyro was just going to have to play rough.

He flew directly into the limb that the squirrel was sat upon and shook it. The squirrel braced and almost lost its balance. It repositioned the screwdriver in its mouth and hopped to another branch.

"Hey, be careful!" Sparx scolded, his color still a brilliant gold, "You could have warned me before trying to kill yourself again!"

Spyro laughed, "You worry too much, ya know? You don't have to try to take the hits, I'll be fine… I do this all the time."

"Yeah, but not in midair…" Sparx buzzed grumpily as he hung back.

Spyro continued his newfound tactic, hoping to eventually tire the squirrel out. It didn't take long before the critter did wear down, finding itself trapped again at the edge of a branch, with the lake as a backdrop.

Spyro cautiously took a few steps forward. "C'mon, little guy… Just hand over the screwdriver and you can go."

The squirrel started getting antsy, darting from side to side for a way out. Finding none, the squirrel looked at Spyro as he approached. Before he could reach the little squirrel, it took the screwdriver out of its mouth and held it above its head. It turned toward the lake and threw it as hard as it could.

"Oh, c'mon!" Spyro groaned and shot after the tool. It landed in the water before Spyro could reach it, and he dove in after it. He grabbed hold of it before it could get too deep and he popped out with a look of triumph on his face.

Elora ran up to him as he climbed out of the water. She smirked at him as he held the screwdriver above his head excitedly. "You're really proud of that one, huh?"

"Heck yeah, I am!" Spyro smiled. "Imagine if I'd lost to a squirrel… Sparx would never let me hear the end of it." He lowered his arm and winced as pain shot through his side.

"Spyro?" Elora asked in a worried voice, taking a step toward him.

Sparx buzzed around him and sighed. "Talking about things you're never gonna hear the end of…"

"I'm fine," Spyro said through his teeth, ignoring Sparx. He took a breath and let the pain subside. "So, uh, I may have hurt myself a bit yesterday when I was chasing after George. I thought I was better, but maybe I pushed myself a little too much when I was trying to shake those branches."

"You think?" Sparx buzzed sarcastically, earning an angry look from Spyro. Sparx just smiled.

Elora shook her head and clicked her tongue in disappointment. "Spyro, you really need to take better care of yourself. You are capable of a lot of things, but you are not invincible…"

"I know, I know…" Spyro sighed.

Elora looked at the sky. The sun had already disappeared behind the horizon and the land was given way to twilight. "Okay, I think it would be best if you came back home with me for tonight. I'll check on your injury and you can get some nice rest."

Spyro's eyes widened, "But… I'm fine. I can just go home—"

"And go and get yourself hurt. _Again_. Spyro, you really are stubborn sometimes," Elora said in a more motherly tone, "I'm not having any of that, mister. Besides, I've got a guest room that has been waiting for someone to occupy it since I set it up!"

Spyro nodded slowly. "Okay, you win. Where is it?"

Elora smiled widely. "It's not far at all, I'm actually set up right beside this lake."

Elora led Spyro along the bank of the lake until they came up to a small dock. She turned toward the woods where Spyro noticed a little dirt bath winding through the bushes, and beyond those, blending in with the woods around it, was a house made from stripped logs. It was a single floor in height, and the roof was thatched. Behind it was the outline of what looked to be a tall windmill of sorts.

"Um, not the safest place for a dragon to be, is it?" Spyro asked.

Elora giggled, "Not normally, but I trust you to not burn it down. Should I be worried?"

"Oh, nah," Spyro laughed nervously.

Elora grinned at him and opened the front door, "After you!"

Spyro entered and was immediately greeted by darkness. There were several windows around that held what remaining light there was outside, but they did little to brighten the room. He heard a small _click_ behind him and the room came to life in light and color. Flowers lay all around in pots and vases around the room. Thought had been put into their placement as they brought enough of the outdoors nature in without the home turning into the wilderness itself. The floor was made of flat but textured stone that had the look of slate.

Spyro noticed the lights, "With the whole nature theme here, I would have thought you'd go with something more natural for the lights, like torches or something."

"Fire, seriously?" Elora laughed, "I don't want to burn my house down, you dork!"

"Oh, right…"

"The Professor built this place for me a while ago," Elora said, "I objected at first, but when they built that wall around the conservatory they had a lot of extra logs that they were just going to turn into wood chips. I figured since the trees were already cut down, they could at least be used for something more than mulch and firewood…

"The lights are powered by electricity. The Professor thought it would work best for the house. He built that giant windmill out back to generate it. He said that it wouldn't produce much and I would run out of power quickly if I used it too much. I only use it for the lights, and that's really only at night so I can see where I'm going. So, yeah, I haven't had any issues so far!"

"That's good. In any case, I like it!" Spyro said.

"I'm glad you do! Now c'mon, let's take a look at your injury," Elora said, leading Spyro to a table made of logs cut down the length of their middles, with their centers facing up to form the flat top of the table. The same had been done with the benches on either side.

Elora instructed Spyro to sit on the bench as she took out supplies from a cabinet hanging from the wall. He did as he was told.

"So, uh, how often do you need to treat people's injuries?" Spyro asked.

"Oh please, I know Hunter." Elora said simply. That was all that needed to be said.

Elora checked him over and wrapped a bandage around his right foreleg and shoulder.

"Is this really necessary?" Spyro asked, "I can't really move my leg much now…"

"Maybe if you wrap the rest of him up, he won't be able to hurt himself again." Sparx suggested.

Spyro looked at him angrily, "If that happens I will start shooting fire…"

"I don't think that's necessary, Sparx," Elora laughed. "Anyway, that's the point of the bandages. You need to give it time to heal. It doesn't seem too bad, so I think tomorrow after some rest you should be fine to move it around more again, but you can't go doing stunts like you did today right away, okay?"

"Got it. I can do that!" Spyro said before yawning. "Speaking of rest, I could really use some sleep."

Elora shook her head lightly and smiled. "Alright, then. Follow me."

She led him down a hallway to a bedroom on the right. "Here's the guest room! I hope you like it."

Spyro stepped inside and spotted the bed on the far side of the room, nestled underneath a window covered by a closed curtain. Other than the bed, the room had a nightstand on either side of it, a dresser with two top shelves made for books, and a desk with stool stationed beside the door. A green and white checkered carpet sat in the middle of the slate floor, providing a little extra color to the room.

He hopped onto the bed and laid back, giving a sigh of relief when he sank comfortably into the mattress.

Elora leaned against the door frame. "I'm going to go check on the Professor one more time before calling it a day. I'll make sure to give him his screwdriver back, since I know how attached he can sometimes get with his equipment..."

Spyro sat up, "This late? Are you sure?"

"I'll be fine!" Elora said, "I know these woods like the back of my hand. Maybe better, actually. Anyway, you just get your rest. I'll be back before you know it. If you need me at any point tonight when I get back, I should be in my room across the hall. Okay?"

Spyro nodded and watched Elora disappear behind the closing door. He sat back and noticed Sparx had found himself a little bed on the nightstand beside him. "Huh? Where'd you get that thing, Sparx?"

Sparx raised his head. "It was already here! It seemed comfy."

"Hmm…" Spyro pondered before shrugging it off and rolling onto his side. "Well, whatever. G'night, little buddy!"

Sparx yawned. "Good night."

Spyro smiled and closed his eyes for a good night's rest, just as Elora ordered.


End file.
